Episode 36 - Frolicking with hooligans

Hello there and welcome to The Crochet Circle Podcast and the show notes for Episode 36 – Frolicking with hooligans

 

In this episode I cover: Sock CAL; Final Destination; En Route; Feeding the habit; Quick News Beats; Big Up and J’adore?

 

This podcast is sponsored by my online crafting company, Provenance Craft Co. 

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1 - #SockAlong 2018 CAL

The response to the CAL has been incredible.  As I recorded this episode, there were a few days left for the CAL.  I would like to record a separate piece on the Sock Along and show off the finished objects.

All of the blogs are available here if you need support with making more crocheted socks. 

 

Here are the links to all of the blog hop folk:

#1 Sat 15th Sep - Sock Making Tips - me (http://www.craftyescapism.com/)

#2 Sat 22nd Sep - Yarn Choice - Fay (https://www.knitit-hookit-craftit.com/)

#3 Sat 29th Sep - Knit vs Crochet Socks - Caroline (https://www.mindandmusecrafts.com/)

#4 Sun 30th Sep -  Sock Anatomy - Deanne (http://www.addydae.com/)

#5 Sat 6 Oct - Toe up vs Cuff down Socks - Jo (http://jojotwinkletoes.blogspot.com/)

#6 Sat 13th Oct - Colour & colour patterns - Marta (http://mrsdaftspaniel.blogspot.com/)

#7 Sat 20th Oct - Customising socks - Kathryn (http://crafternoontreats.com/)

#8 Sat 27th Oct - Crochet Sock Heels are not Scary - Karen (https://www.karenwhooley.com/) 

 

More prizes have come in for the CAL.  Lovely Sandra from Cherry Heart podcast has kindly offered copies of her latest pattern, the Linden Bee Shawl. 

 

Nikki from Ewe Felty Thing a LYS in Llandudno, North Wales and indie dyer, has kindly given a prize of the most beautiful 50% silk and 50% camel yarn.  It is so beautifully soft.  I am also pleased to say that in November, Nikki will be extending the size of her shop.  It's always good to hear local yarn shop successes.

 

 

 

2 – Final Destination

Creatively, I have been very busy this month, it's just that much of it has been for the shop and for Yarnporium (a large London yarn show on 2nd & 3rd November).  So, less crochet and a lot of pottery, sewing, bag making, designing, and, and, and...

 

I have finished off two shawls that I have been designing.  The shawl is called Arria and on Friday 2nd November, the 4ply crocheted and knitted versions are being launched.  They both use the intarsia technique and are a nice introduction to it because you only have three balls on the go.  They both use 2 x 100g skeins of a 4 ply/light fingering weight yarn (400m/437yds) and a 20g mini skein of the same yarn weight.     

 

 

If you prefer to work in DK weight yarns, the DK Arria patterns are being worked up at the moment and might be ready for the December podcast.

 

I have also been working on my first knitted sock pattern, which uses 20g mini skeins from River Knits.  The pattern is called Mini Mania and if you buy a seventh 20g mini skein, you can use up almost all of your wool and get two pairs of socks from the 140g.

  

 

Discount codes are set up on all three patterns on Ravelry.  Use CROCHETCLAN at check out to receive 50% discount.

 

3 – En Route

I have made very little progress on my Fallen leaves socks.  I am desperate to get more crochet time in during November and catch up on life.  Ho-hum.

  

4 – Feeding the habit

This section usually reflects any woolly adventures I have had during the month.  October was a great month for going to new places and seeing some of my lovely woolly friends.  

 

It all started with a trip to Hooligan Yarns on their open day. This is a smallholding called Manor Farm Charitable Trust, where they take in animals that would otherwise go to slaughter.  Di, her husband Allan and a team look after 170 sheep, goats, chickens, donkeys, pony, geese, geep (yes, there is such a thing as a goat/sheep cross) and ducks.

 

All of the animals get to live a full life and it was amazing to see the different personalities the animals have.  

 

The trip was all down to my friend Bec who organised it, and we had a great day out.  Di has been working over the last couple of years to create yarn from the fleeces of the sheep.  Needless to say, I couldn’t come away without any.  I really love that I have animal and fleece specific wool and I have seen just how happy the animals were.  The sale of the wool offers direct support to the charity. 

 

 

You can buy their yarn online.  You can follow the different animals on Instagram (@hooliganyarns).  You can also see the farm on Countryside Autumn Diaries 2018, Episode 3, go to 35:25 minutes.

I know of two other UK suppliers of slaughter-free wool in case you are interested:

Doulton Border Leicester Flock and Izzy Lane.

 

The next day I was off to Bakewell Woolgathering in Derbyshire, a two-day yarn festival.  I didn't have long there and made a beeline to see some friends.  One of my plans for this year has been to look to my stash, see where I have single skeins that need partners and buy those partners.  Laili owns Emily Foulds, a LYS in Colne, Yorkshire and one of the yarns she carries is The Fibre Company and this was one of the stash areas that I wanted to marry up with an extra skein.  I really like Laili and what a success she is making of her shop, so I was pleased to be able to buy from her.  When my skein arrived in the post (she didn't have the colour I wanted at the show) it also arrived with a couple of skeins of the new The Fibre Company yarn - Arranmore.  I am looking to design up a new crocheted bag with this yarn, so it was really nice to get some to play with.

 

 

I took a sneaky day off and headed down to London to meet up with a couple of friends.  Stasia was over from Russia and Lisa works in London, so we met up int he afternoon for some tea, coffee and crochet at a very cool location called Drink, Shop & Do (later that night the cafe bar was hosting prosecco and pumpkin carving party!)  We were all swapping little bits and pieces as gifts and I was blown away with the lovely things I received from Stasia and Lisa.  I am now the happy owner of some Russian yarn and a really special stitch marker.

 

 

I also visited a new yarn shop called Tribe Yarns (@Tribeyarnslife).  I only had about 20 minutes there and it was so amazing.  I can't do it justice just now, so I am going to go back and have a proper look and photograph it properly.  It's in Richmond on the Hill and it is easily one of my new favourite yarn shops.  

 

 

The lovely Nikki from Ewe Felty Thing also sent me through a skein of yarn, very specifically for making socks with so that I can check out another type of yarn.  I was searching at Yarndale for some alpaca based sock yarn but couldn't find any, so this skein is just perfect.  I will report back in due course so that you know how it wears.    

 

5 - Quick News Beats 

Global Hook Ups – I am going to take a month off the Global Hook Ups.  I know that when I come back form Yarnporium, my battery levels are going to be really low and I want to make sure I get a proper recharge during November.  The hook ups will be back in December.  

Meet up in Glasgow - 24th November meet up in Glasgow at The Queen of Purls at 3.30pm.  It would be lovely to see some of you there.

WIPalong - Charlie from the Love Charlie Podcast and some Instagram friends are hosting #WIPvember.  It runs from 1st - 30th November om Instagram.  All you need to do is get cracking on your WIPs.  My plan is to continue this throughout December too because ideally, I would carry just one WIP into 2019.  I really want to move into the New Year with a clean slate, knowing that I can tackle whatever it is I want and there is no background guilt over long-suffering projects).  

 

6 – Big Up

I don't think I have ever told you about my wonderful sister-in-law.  Sarah is Matthew's sister and she is an author and a very good one at that.  She has a new book out under the Urban Fantasy genre and when she was visiting this weekend, we hatched a plan for a giveaway.  'The Night Raven' is the first novel in The Crow Investigation Series. 

 

 

Sarah is giving away a signed copy of 'The Night Raven' and between us we picked out linen embroidery thread colours to match the front cover which is then part of a raven embroidery bag kit that I am giving away from KNIT IT - HOOK IT - CRAFT IT. The embroidery kit is an absolute one-off (apart from the one that I gave to Sarah - because she is an amazing person).  

 

If you would like to win the prize bundle, take to Instagram and make sure you are following her account (@sarapainterbooks)and my business account (@knitithookit) and leave a comment on the post in my account @knitithookit  If you want to tag a friend that might be interested, then please do, but it isn't compulsory.  Simply comment on the post by 12pm GMT 9th November.  

 

Sarah has a growing back catalogue, many of which are available through Amazon and Audible.    

 

7 - J'adore

We have been binge-watching The Marvellous Mrs. Maisel which is airing on Amazon.  

 

Right, I am off to do more prep for Yarnporium and will be spending most of November on the sofa crocheting.  

 

Fay x

 

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